Monday, 7 March 2011

T' daan Kini Falls in Lake Sebu

T'daan Kini Falls is located at barangay Lamlahak in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Reaching this place will take you about 45 minutes of brisk walking from the pit stop at Sitio Talubek passing through the village at the foothills of a scenic hillside. "T'daan" means the meeting of 'cold and hot water'.

Photo credit: Dra. Ophelia Casel

However, the water at the falls is nowhere from being hot, its as cold as ice but once your body dipped fully under it, it becomes unmindful of the coldness. Your body shake for a few seconds before it get accustomed to the low temperature of the water.

Photo credit: Dra. Ophelia Casel

The small basin was deep enough for my feet to feel the rocks at the bottom, making it perfectly safe for non-swimmers like me. The place surrounding the T'daan Kini falls is a haven for nature lovers, our guide Jerson Ungal (who is a DOT accredited tour guide of the 'Discovery and Expedition Team') told us that a vast system of caves can be found nearby and they were set to explore it a week later and a few other waterfalls can be found an hour away from T'daan Kini falls.

They also told us that the place is being courted by a number of coal mining companies, something they have shut down so far. Great move as mining contribute much to environment imbalance thus causing environment disaster.

Along the way we passed by a group of T'boli tribe residents making wood carvings, one of their main trade items in the community. I bought a fish carving on a small boat with the words "Nomadic Experiences @ Lake Sebu" etched on it. It now rest on top of my office table forever reminding me of the great outdoors that awaits me from this prison like cubicle of the corporate world.

It started to rain when we started our short hike to the falls, it didn't mattered though, as the charm of a new place always stays ahead of whatever discomfort that traveling brings. If any, its almost a speck of dust compared to the ecstasy of being on the road and seeing new places for the first time.

We crossed small streams crossing wooden bridges and smelling the clean air coming from the highlands an enigmatic feeling makes an attempt at bat and eventually making a home run. I thought to myself that moment, this is what I want to do every chance I'll get.

This is the kind of traveling that I want to do over and over again, same like Wilt Chamberlain would want to bed beautiful women time and time again. Well If I can have both then, I'm set in this life. Haha!

But, unlike Charlie Sheen I don't have "Adonis DNA" nor "Tiger blood" what I have is a "Nomadic DNA" perhaps. I'd love to get lost soon in places like this. Traveling has taken me here in this small lovely town in South Cotabato and just as I wrote in my earlier blog entry about Lake Sebu, the place has exceeded my expectations and presented me a new image totally contradicting prior misgivings I had about South Cotabato. I'd like to set out more further and beyond.

One of our guide was "Sara" a member of the T'boli tribe and she hiked with us dressed up in tribal clothes and she was particularly engaging in telling us the story behind every spot and places we passed by. She even gamely posed for my friend Olan who took a picture of her by the waterfalls.

Photo Credit: Olan Emboscado of olanology.blogspot.com

We had lunch by the waterfalls consisting of "tilapia" and "chicken adobo" I savored the meal and the place at the same time, soon we will be heading back to where we came from and as the never ending sound coming from the water stream, the road stretches on forever. South Cotabato seems like a great place to be on the road at. I'm glad I've signed up for this "Soccsksargen Experience Tour Part Deux (SEX Tour II)" - a cultural and geographical awareness tour conducted by the local government units' tourism offices in Maitum & Kiamba (both in Sarangani) and Koronadal & Lake Sebu (both in South Cotabato).

About Unknown
I started travel blogging in 2007 and has since became a full-time travel writer contributing for various travel magazines and newspapers such as the Manila Bulletin, BusinessMirror, The Daily Tribune, Travel Now, Gala Magazine and more.

About the Blogger

Marky Ramone Go is a travel-junkie, writer and photographer based in the Philippines. Aside from contributing articles to various publications and websites, he narrates his experiences wandering the tropical paradise of the Philippines, the culturally rich regions of South East Asia, Sri Lanka and India on this travel blog. After Asia, he is keen on exploring South America and eventually tracing Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" trail in the United States to Mexico.: